Download Football Insider 2010, a free iPhone app perfect for Redskins fans. It features breaking news from this blog; player and team-focused daily stories written by The Post's Redskins beat reporters; analysis by the Post's award-winning columnists; and game-day photo galleries to go along with full, updating play-by-play and statistics from each game.

Heated field needed before indoor facility, Shanahan says

In addition to wanting an indoor practice facility, Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan also believes the team needs a heated practice field at Redskins Park.

"I can say that for the future that our first plan will be getting a heated field out here," Shanahan said Monday at the complex. "So when we have bad weather, we can practice outside.

"It's always great to practice outside, but you have to have a heated field so you can get traction. You can't get traction on a frozen field."

Next season, Shanahan hopes to avert the problems that poor weather caused the team last week during preparations for Sunday's 33-30 loss to Dallas. Installing a heated field at the facility would be a good first step, Shanahan said.

Eventually, Shanahan said, he is determined to have a practice bubble constructed "so we can not only practice inside, but if we do have the type of snow where you can't practice outside, we can at least get a good practice in. So that'll be done."

Shanahan acknowledged that the inclement weather did adversely affect the team's preparation for the previous game.

"Well, sure," he said. "I think everybody knows that if you don't have a place to practice that it does affect you. But I thought our players handled it as well as you could possibly handle it."

Although it would be ideal to have a bubble and heated field in place to begin practice for the 2011 season, "the one thing I want to make sure we got is the heated field," Shanahan said. "Cause when I was in Denver, that's really all we used, was the heated field.

"Even when it was snowing, you know, we didn't even care. We just stayed on the heated field, and it worked out pretty good.

"The snow would melt, we'd have good traction and we could get used to the conditions. The only time it's bad is if it's really raining or it's snowing so hard that you gotta go inside."

I will never understand Redskins fans wringing their hands over how McNabb has been "treated". Everybody wanted it to work. It didn't. The mistake was made on Easter

POSTED BY: MColeman51

I have said from the gitgo that it was a bad trade. He was a 2-3 year QB at BEST, and the team wasn't ready to go anywhere with or without him. Turned out the 'skins got taken. Wow, shocker.

That said, the man is a class act, and a class organization doesn't treat someone like that the way they did if (1) they want to remain a class organization and (2) they want to attract good FA talent--other than the mercenaries they've managed to unearth in the past.

They were too kind to a buffoon like Haynesworth and too unkind to McNabb.

Although it would be ideal to have a bubble and heated field in place to begin practice for the 2011 season, "the one thing I want to make sure we got is the heated field," Shanahan said. "Cause when I was in Denver, that's really all we used, was the heated field.
---RI

Okay coach, but I'm gonna have to say "no" to those lightweight O-linemen you were so fond of in Denver.

The Wall Street Journal is shamefully plagiarizing Jason Reid. Mr., er, Dr. Reid has taught me a lot about the field of medicine, particularly through Chris Samuels' injury.

From an article today:
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA, in April found that Medicare patients with a condition called spinal stenosis who had more than two vertebrae fused, a procedure known as a complex fusion, were nearly three times more likely to have life-threatening complications than patients who had a less invasive procedure known as a decompression.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spine which puts pressure on the spinal cord or spinal nerves.

Another study of workers' compensation cases published this year in the online edition of the journal Spine showed that patients who had a spinal fusion were much less likely to return to work within two years after their surgery than a group of patients with similar conditions who didn't have surgery, and that 27% of them had to be re-operated on.

That said, the man is a class act, and a class organization doesn't treat someone like that the way they did if (1) they want to remain a class organization and (2) they want to attract good FA talent--other than the mercenaries they've managed to unearth in the past.

They were too kind to a buffoon like Haynesworth and too unkind to McNabb.

I propose that in the new year we officially retire the term 'class act'. If an athlete isn't in jail and doesn't give fans the finger, he's called a 'class act'. Pay me $15 million or so a year and I'll be a class act. I'll even wash your car once a month.

I don't hate Shanahan at all & as a fan, I (selfishly) hope he succeeds where others have failed. I just don't think the whole DM5 fiasco is anything less than what it is: wasted draft picks, a vet who has been treated worse than was warranted.
That said, the guy's old school, & ya gotta love that. Only time will tell if he can get the job done here, but it sounds like he's gonna be in DC for awhile (a good thing!). What choice do we have but to give both Shannys the benefit of the doubt & hope next season goes better than this one did? And as we all know, winning heals all wounds.

My previous posts on the whole DM5 mess were probably too angry, for which I apologize to anyone they offended. Shanny isn't the only one who could have handled this better. Mea culpa!

I recall when Gibbs was here the first time the Redskins ALWAYS practiced outside which is probably the reason the Redskins still dont have a indoor facility. Gibbs stressed practicing in bad weather which is one reason his recored is so good in December and January. I can see a heated field but no indoor facility. Practicing outside in the elements toughens the team up and gets them used to playing in bad weather often experienced in the NFC East.

Sad thing is, AFTER the fact, this has been a wasted year.
Sad thing is, a SIGNIFICANT number of people claim that had Donovan had a decent O-line, HE would have better. Really? Does Mark Rypien come to mind?
Sad thing is, a SIGNIFICANT number of people state that had Donovan had a better supporting cast, HE, nor the team, would've been so pathetically poor. Really? Makes TOTAL sense; however, GROSSMAN did, in fact, play with the SAME supporting cast (minus, of course, the STAR running back(?) and the SAME discombublated O-line. Guess what....30 points!
A SIGNIFICANT number of people state that Grossman succeeded due to the fact that the Dallas defense (#25, entire league). Well, against that SAME Dallas defense, Washington, with McNabb, scored 13 points in Week 1.
Against Houston, week 2 (#30 Defense), Washington scored 27 points.
Against St. Louis, a #17 defense in week 3, the 'Skins scored 16 points.
Against the Colts, week 6, a #19 Defense, the 'Skins scored 24 points.
Week 8, Detroit (#21 Defense), the offense scored 25 points.
Week 9, they didn't loose........
Week 11, Tennessee, a #24 Defense, the 'Skins won and scored 19 points.
Tampa Bay, a #20 defense, the offense scored 16 points.
And McNabb WAS the QB directing the Washington offense, save 1:50.
McNabb DOESN'T (one of 2 things) have "it" anymore OR McNabb hasn't, yet, "grasped" this offensive philosophy.
Either way, it sickens me, AFTER THE FACT, to have lost yet MORE draft picks that, now, the 4th oldest team in the entire league could have used.
And NO, despite Grossman's good game, overall, against a team that, on paper, was to have played within the S.B., HE, nor any other QB on the roster, is "the" future. I'm not sure that the "bridge" to the future is on the team, either - I simply DON'T know!
What the overall situation is, though, is that the 'Skins need, at the least, 13 "new" players (Offense, Defense, punter, kicker, perhaps)and that McNabb simply didn't perform throughout this year with the SAME (basically) team as Grossman succeeded within throughout the 2nd half against Dallas - this, after NOT playing for almost 2 years! So, please, enough about McNabb vs. Grossman, "race cards", ad infinum.
Ceratto, despite how BAD he WAS both here AND SF (Policy nor Clark thought enough of him to take him to Cleveland!), can't be blamed for THIS trade.
To me, and this is ALL just my opionion, this year SHOULD NOT have been a "wasted" year. Much like with Gibbs, 2, the 'Skins need a REAL G.M., not a "figurehead".
Look at the turnaround of terrible teams last year (TB & KC), and the consistency of NE & Baltimore - a REAL talent evaluator has been missing from D.C. for the last 10 years.
Bruce Allen, as a result of his father, much like Kyle, as a result of HIS father, doesn't guarantee results.
Kyle DID succeed last year; Bruce, historically, has been adequate.
Mike, though, has the reins & until that changes, this is what we MAY be left with for awhile.

Well the fans want a coach who knows what he's doing before a heated field. Giving Fat Albert $20m, trading for McN, switching to 3-4 defense when you don't have the right players, bringing in old running backs as backups to Portis, the list goes on and on that this whole year has been a complete waste when it comes to rebuilding. Next year looks like they will be starting all over again. We still need O-line help. A QB. Etc.

ASHBURN, VA - Sources inside Redskins park have confirmed that Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan has traded Donovan McNabb to the Minnesota Vikings for several pieces of their collapsed Metrodome Stadium roof, which the Redskins will use to build a new practice bubble.

The trade reportedly also includes a conditional 2013 Redskins 2nd or 3rd round draft pick. The conditional pick will be based on if the Redskins ever use the roof during any playoff weeks.

Shanahan was quoted as saying, "Obviously this is another great trade I've made for the Redskins this year! The used Metrodome pieces will make a fantastic practice bubble for our team, and I'm confident that this move shows Donovan the respect level he deserved."

All of the final details are still being worked out, however, sources close to the team have said that Jim Haslett and Shanahan are already debating over how to use the new roof pieces to assemble the practice bubble. Haslett is leaning towards a 4/3 roof panel layout, where as the Coach feels a 3/4 layout might build a more solid bubble.

In other Redskins news, owner Dan Snyder is scheduled to meet later today with starting QB Rex Grossman, to discuss a potential block buster, 10 year, multi million dollar contract extension. The two will be meeting up at Larry Michael's house, where Mr. Snyder is reportedly extending Larry's Comcast contract for another 50 years, plus talking with several large corporations about naming rights for the new practice bubble.

I don't understand the fuss from the McNabb camp. He played himself to the bench. Did he expect a bouquet of flowers with a note when he got there? A good football coach cares about his team, but I don't think they can really care about 1 guys feelings. It is so easy to say "it could be handled better" but who cares? For the kind of cabbage these guys make you can take a slap in the face now and again. Toughen up!

Those pansies should practice on the field the way it is. It makes you tougher. Makes you better. Prepares you for anything. If you don't practice in it you won't be able to play in it. Will they go inside when it's raining during practice? Boo hoo. Boy, I hope it never rains during a football game! C'mon man! We need MEN running the team and playing for the team! C'mon! Didn't ANYONE see how they did it in the 80s?

How about we retire the word, "disrespect" as well? "You guys disrespected McNabb!"

Funny, where I work, we get fired when we don't produce, not pay us $100K a day.

====================================

I propose that in the new year we officially retire the term 'class act'. If an athlete isn't in jail and doesn't give fans the finger, he's called a 'class act'. Pay me $15 million or so a year and I'll be a class act. I'll even wash your car once a month.

"American Heritage-Delray Beach, Florida, is looking for Varsity assistant football coaches. QB, TE, and other positions may be available. There may be teaching possibilities for fall 2011. Please contact Doug Socha by email or fax resumes to 561-495-5769. Email address: doug.socha@ahschool.com"

I enjoy the fact that the Skins practice outside regardless of the weather conditions. Heating the field is fine since they practice on turf anyway, but a bubble? Really, because we are a dome team? I'm sorry but you're a professional, paid to be a professional. Suck it up for a few hours and hang out in the cold and rain. It does make your team a little tougher in my opinion, but then again what do I know. I wouldn't have traded all our picks.

This whole Mcnabb thing makes me sick. Disrespected? Come on man, you played awful all year, and the coaches are supposed let you continue to drag the offense down with you? They obviously trimmed down the playbook to what they thought you could perform well and you still dissapointed. You are getting paid, so just shut up and go to practice. Class act? He has no choice, if he wants to land another job in this league. We took a shot with him for a chance at the playoffs this year. Didnt work. So its time to play the young guys to see what they got. If this was any other QB in the league, I guarantee this wouldnt be as over blown as it is with him. He had his shot, 13 games of poor decisions, immobility, passes thrown at the feet, fumbles, taking a sack instead of throwing the ball away..... I could go on. I only hope we can get a 4th or 5th round pick for the guy, but even that may be wishful thinking.

We encourage users to analyze, comment on and even challenge washingtonpost.com's articles, blogs, reviews and multimedia features.

User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions.